Pickup trucks are often used to carry long loads that span the truck bed from the cab to the tailgate. Typical of such loads are lumber, canoes, surfboards, boats and poles If no padding is placed between the cab and the load and between the tailgate and the load either or both the truck body and the load will be scarred, marred or otherwise damaged in some fashion. This is particularly true if the same object is repeatedly carried, such as a kayak. When padding such as rags or newspaper is used, the padding often proves to be unsatisfactory in that it slips or falls out of place because of the vibration of the moving vehicle. It is difficult to secure such padding in place without taping it or tying it on to the long load in some manner. Many sportsmen buy "beefed up" pickup trucks and are quite proud of them. They have no desire to see them scarred or the finish marked up.
There has been need therefore for protective pads for pickup trucks that can readily be placed on and secured to the truck to permit the truck to carry long loads without damaging either the truck or the load. The present invention is addressed to this desideratum.